(sunflower) seeds of a good life

Getting outside and exploring nature is great for kids. It not only teaches them new skills and educates them about the world around them, but it also has proven benefits to health and wellbeing.

If you want a helping hand in inspiring little ones, your local garden centre is the perfect place to start. Centres up and down the country hold regular workshops and events for children, as well as having enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff on hand for advice.

Hilltop Garden Store, in Chipping Norton, has been offering free sunflower seeds to children throughout the summer. It provides each child with a peat-free biodegradable pot, the seeds and a leaflet with growing instructions. All this is to encourage the youngsters to keep a close eye on their plant and see how high it will grow.

Sales assistant Sarah Bedwell says: “Sunflowers are a great first plant to grow with children. They’re fastgrowing, so they are engaging for young minds.

“They can grow up to 2.5m tall. Turn it into a friendly competition to see who grows the tallest flower. This makes children excited to water their new plant and encourages them to pop into the garden to tend to it and check its progress. We have several stands set up displaying plants that are easy and exciting for kids to grow, like strawberries and herbs. It’s easy to capture their imagination with plants they can touch, smell and taste.”

If your community or school project has found inspiring ways to engage kids with gardening, why not tell us about it?

Groups from across the UK have been entering the 2019 competition, sponsored by Calliope®, in the hopes of winning a share of this year’s £20,000 prize pot. Winners will be announced in September. Visit cultivationstreet.com for more information about the Cultivation Street campaign.